Could We Start Again, Please?
by Linz005
Summary: A one chapter short story about a AU encounter between Curt and Brian. Arthur shows up too. Takes place before Stone Show. I re-uploaded it in hopes of fixing formatting issues!


Disclaimer: Don't own VG.Wish I did (Anyone want to sell it to me.Todd? No? Ok.). Story is mine though. The title is from a Jesus Christ Superstar song so that isn't even mine (Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice.are you guys selling it? No again? Alright). Summary: Brian and Curt are reunited before the infamous Tommy Stone show and Curt and Arthur's meeting at the bar. Is it possible to go back to the past? Keep in mind that he does go to the concert. Pairings: Curt/Brian with some Curt/Arthur leanings (read to find out what that means) Warnings: None really. Very, very mild slash. I think I swear like 3 times (I believe I used shit, fuck and fucking.I don't consider the word hell a swear if u do then its more). I also enjoy euphemisms (non are very explicit now). A/N: Any similarities or allusions to either masterpiece named above are totally intentional! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Could We Start Again, Please?  
Brian paced the hotel lobby in a daze. His hand trembled as he tried to light a cigarette with a match. Curt had actually agreed to see him after ten years. He was coming to his show. Well not exactly his show, but Tommy Stone's show. Brian lit another match, but quickly put it out as he caught site of his reflection. Had it really only been ten years? Felt like a hundred at least. He looked so different, so changed, so corrupted. Tommy Stone was so gauche, so contrived. That wasn't Brian. That definitely wasn't what Brian had wanted to become. Tommy had risen from the ashes left from Brian's crashing and burning. Shannon had really been the one to push him into it, telling him that he needed to rebound and make a new start. Now he had all the widespread fame and money he had ever wanted, but Curt was gone. The only thing he had ever wanted and he was gone.  
Brian looked at his reflection for a long time. He had tried to recreate the past and look as much like his old self as possible. He wore his make-up as he had ten years ago and wore a timeless designer suit. He was entranced with his reflection and trying to remember the past that the cigarette pressed between his lips was all, but forgotten until he saw a flame lowered to its tip. He recognized the hand that held the lighter that lit his cigarette. He had studied that hand for hours at a time, memorizing it, trying to capture it in his mind. Brian wanted to take that hand in his with all of his might, but resisted this urge.  
Curt pulled his own cigarette out of the pocket of his leather jacket. He took a long drag and waited for Brian to speak. The silence seemed to last for days. Curt finally caved in (he always had when it came to Brian).  
"Hey Bri or is it Tommy now?" Curt said exhaling and taking another drag.  
"I always be Bri at least to you. You look good." Curt laughed.  
"Yeah, well you look like shit." Brian's face seemed to drain of what little color it had. He looked down and bit his bottom lip (a bit of a habit of his). He was visibly hurt. Curt wasn't supposed to say things like that not to him. "So, Tommy, how have ya been?" He called him Tommy as a direct result of being told to call him Bri. Curt Wild never did what he was told.  
"I miss you."  
"Well, I'm not the one who watched me leave through the window without even asking me not to go." Another silence fell, now it was Brian's turn to ask.  
"How have you been?"  
"Fantastic. I have a boyfriend and I'm happy and I'm successful."  
"Really?"  
"No. I have commitment issues, can't imagine where those came from, and apparently no one cares about Curt Wild without Brian Slade. Besides who can compete with Tommy Stone?"  
"Curt, I didn't ruin your life. I mean you did a fine job of that before you met me and I'm sure you are doing a fine job of it now. But I didn't want you to come here so that we could fight. I'm sorry. I want to be with you. Now. Tonight. Forever." Brian had leaned in closer and closer with each word. They were millimeters apart with there lips just about brushing against each other's. Brian pressed in opposition to Curt's lips vehemently. The kiss seemed to last forever. Curt tried to pull away, but didn't want to so instead he let his hands skim over Brian's form stopping on his hips for a moment and then continuing up until they rested in Brian's hair.  
Curt closed his eyes. "I want to believe you, but forever is a long time and I would only regret tonight." He opened his eyes and found himself looking directly into Brian's eyes. No matter what Brian looked like on the outside, Curt would never, no could never, forget those eyes. He always saw clearly when looking into them. Now, it was his turn. He leaned in and kissed Brian again.  
"Bri? Can we go somewhere else? I can only imagine what will happen if someone sees Tommy Stone making out with Curt Wild." Brian smiled.  
"Let's go upstairs. I'm staying in our room.' Curt knew what he meant. Whenever they had been in New York they had stayed in this hotel in the same room. "It will be just like before." Brian led Curt to the elevator. Curt leaned in against the contours of Brian's body putting his arm around his waist. Brian was enjoying this more than he could possibly say. Some other people got into the elevator at one point and Brian pushed Curt away in the most un-Brian Slade like manner. Curt was angry, but then again he didn't know if it was possible to be with Brian now. Maybe Tommy was all that was left.  
A young girl who had come onto the elevator kept looking back at him. She couldn't stop smiling and giggling with her friends. Finally she spoke, "Excuse me, but are you Tommy Stone?" Brian smiled, but Curt hated to hear him referred to as that. He always had even before he had seen him now. Brian in full Tommy disguise talked with the girl until they reached their floor. Brian seemed to be walking abnormally quickly to get to the room. Curt lit another cigarette and hung back a little.  
"Curt, would you please hurry up?"  
"Why? After ten years you can't wait like one more minute to have your way with me?" Curt spoke sarcastically and didn't pick up the pace. He knew that Brian was only worried about being seen. Curt also knew that Shannon had to be around here somewhere and would be less than thrilled (and that would be an understatement no doubt) with Curt's sudden reappearance. When they got into the room, Curt pushed Brian against the door and started kissing him. Again, Brian seemed to pull away.  
"What? What? I came here because you just had to see me. I don't know what I was thinking, Tommy. I'll leave." Curt opened the door pushing Brian aside. He made his way toward the elevators, but this time Brian followed after him.  
"Curt! Stop, please! I didn't mean to upset you. I just want this to be perfect. Please, come back to the room." Curt was in utter shock. He never imagined in his wildest dreams that Brian would ever under any circumstances come after him. Brian grabbed his hand. "Please." Curt followed subserviently. The whole thing just seemed so surreal. "Just give me one second, alright?" Curt nodded and sat down on the bed in the very spacious room. Brian came back out having fixed his make-up and changed into more Brian Slade related clothing. "Better?"  
"I wasn't complaining before. Bri, I don't know if it is even possible to start over again and be us again, but I do know that we can't recapture what we had. It won't and can't be the same." Curt was always that realist. He had always told it like it was even back when he told Brian it was getting too out of hand.  
"Yes it can! I'll make it the way it was."  
"Brian, listen to yourself. Whoever you are whether you're Brian, Tommy, Maxwell, or what ever else you end up calling yourself, you aren't a god. You can't change the past." Brian got upset over Curt's tirade and walked over to the window. Curt sighed and lied back on the bed. Brian stood for a moment before looking back with tears in his eyes (the only person he ever cried in front of was Curt). "Brian, Brian, Brian.always the drama queen." Curt joked walking over to Brian who half smiled at the remark. "C'mon, stop it." He wrapped his arms around Brian. "I didn't say that we couldn't be together at all."  
"I thought you'd regret tonight and that forever was a long time." Brian pressed his body closer to Curt's.  
"As much as I have begged myself not to believe it.I love you." Brian kissed him. "It's true and I don't regret any of it except leaving and not being followed."  
"All I regret is losing you and allowing myself to be reduced to Tommy Stone."  
"I have an idea. It'll fix everything and then we can be together for real again. Will you do just one thing for me, for us?" Curt knew that asking Brian to do something wasn't the easiest thing. Brian always did act in his own self interest.  
"I would do anything for you."  
"Tell them?"  
"Tell who what?" Brian was confused, but he had a vague idea where this was going.  
"Tell all of them, Tommy's worshippers, that you are Brian Slade. They won't care. Then we could really start over being us. Announce it at the concert. I mean you've done stranger things at concerts."  
"Could we not bring that up, thank-you?" Curt laughed leading Brian over to the bed. He kissed his neck and started unbuttoning his shirt. Brian kissed back for a long time and as they got closer and closer to fucking Brian's will began to dissipate and the thought of telling everyone didn't seem so bad. "I'll do it for us." Curt didn't stop he kept going and soon they were completely connected. Shortly after they had finished, Brian got into the shower. He had to be at the concert soon (he was already quite late.). Curt put on his clothes and tied his hair back in a ponytail. Someone knocked on the door and without thinking twice Curt answered it.  
"Curt, what the fuck are you doing here?" It was Shannon right on cue to screw everything up.  
"Hello, to you to. Well, you certainly have come along why to the shy little girl I met that first week in New York."  
"Wish I could say the same for you. Where is he?"  
"Whose that now?" Curt laughed lighting a cigarette.  
"Tommy. Who the hell do you think?" Shannon had a shorter temper than Curt remembered, but then she had never talked to him like this before because he was Curt Wild and she was Shannon.  
"I'm sorry there's no Tommy here." Curt laughed again dragging on his cigarette. Brian walked out in a towel rubbing his hair dry with another.  
"Curt, who are you talking too? I have to hurry up or Shannon will kill me that bitch. Oh Shannon. What a surprise?" Curt had only been back for a few hours and already she was losing her grip on Brian.  
"Tommy, please come with me now. You can not be late for this show."  
"Alright, Curt's coming and by the way it's Brian."  
"You're not thinking of doing something stupid." Curt put his arm around Brian.  
"Of course not." Brian gave his best impression of innocence a quality he had lost very long ago.  
Brian went on stage and Curt watched from backstage. He couldn't believe how different Brian was on stage on compared to how he used to be. It was truly a shame. Brian came off stage and was preparing for his encore when Curt confronted him. Brian's promise to come clean was clearly long forgotten. "Are you going to make your big announcement?" Curt asked almost hopelessly.  
"I.I.uhhh."  
"Brian, what's your answer?"  
"Shh.someone might here you." Curt looked at him with tears almost forming in his eyes, tears that he thought had been all cried out a long time ago.  
"I think I have my answer. Goodbye." He kissed Brian on the cheek and walked away. He was in deed the same Brian whether he called himself Tommy or anything else. He was too caught up in being an idol to be anything else. He went back on stage instead of going after Curt. Curt made a beeline for the nearest bar wanting to drown his sorrows. He took the concert ticket he had out of his pocket and crumpled it in his hand, but couldn't bring himself to throw it away.  
He ordered a beer and went into the back room. He sat at the table brooding over his lost love once again. "This was supposed to be over with now. No one even knows who he is. I wish I didn't." He lost him self in a silent reverie of these kinds of thoughts. Suddenly he was interrupted. (A/N : Some of the following dialogue is a direct quote from the film, but I am adding my own touches. I mean as long as my messing with it I might as well mess with it a lot.)  
"You're Curt Wild, right?"  
"Yeah? Who the hell are you?"  
"I'm a journalist. With the Herald. You were at the concert. It's just funny because.well I was just trying to contact you actually. For a story I was doing about an old friend of yours? Brian Slade? Was trying to find out what actually happened to him. I mean, before he became.such a mystery." Curt looked up had Brian actually told the press or did this guy just know some how. He looked at him showing more emotion than he usually allowed himself too. (A/N : kk, after the last Arthur quote begins the deviations from the movie.) He tried not to look confused.  
"I don't know what you think you know, but let me just see Brian Slade is as good as dead. Maybe worse off. He got what he wanted, though, in the end. Believe me, he got what he wanted." And it wasn't me. Curt looked at the man again. He was younger than Curt and he looked a little familiar. "Do I know you?"  
"We met a long time ago." Curt tried to place his face and then it hit him. "Death of Glitter? The roof?" Arthur nodded. "Really, this is too weird."  
"What's weird?"  
"I've just been seeing a whole lot of people lately. Well, Arthur, right? I'm going to go home and try to forget about the past. Are you coming?" Arthur, had he still been a teenager, would have blushed for like an hour before clumsily going with him, but it had been a long time since he met Curt and he was no where near the person he had been. He followed Curt out of the bar. Curt put his arm around Arthur much in the same way he had with Brian not that long ago. Maybe Curt would get his new start, but for the dark familiar shadow standing outside the bar watching Curt leave with another, he was seeing for the first time that what was lost was really lost. ~*~FINIS~*~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: Well, I am saying that this was a one shot deal. A one chapter, short story deal-y. If you liked it please review. If you review and ask nicely, I might consider writing a sequel. LOL. I personally love Curt and Brian, but I am open to writing Curt/ Arthur fics so a sequel really could go either way. If you want to find out.then.REVIEW!! LOL. I'm addicted to getting reviews. I, also, accept emailed comments (WESTIEGRL_99@YAHOO.COM) about the fic or VG in general. Also be sure to check out my other works (So that was a shameless plus, but hey those are always fun.hehe). Cheers, Lindsay!! 


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